Saradha boss out of police custody

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Calcutta, May 18: Sudipta Sen was sent to judicial custody today after Bidhannagar police, probing the Saradha default crisis, did not seek extension of his remand.

“We strongly opposed the bail petition submitted by the lawyers of Sen and the other two accused, Debjani Mukherjee and Arvind Singh Chauhan,” said Sabir Ali, the public prosecutor who represented the police in the court.

Asked if the police were done with the man believed to have defrauded millions across several states, an officer of the detective department at Bidhannagar said: “We grilled him for 23 days and he disclosed the business of his company and the assets that the Saradha Group had purchased with depositors’ money. Incriminating documents were also seized. We need not interrogate Sen any more.”

An officer not associated with the probe said this virtually meant Bidhannagar police believe they have wrapped up the case.

An officer probing the default scam in Calcutta said Sen could have been kept in custody longer. “Sen was in police custody in connection with two particular cases (a TV channel’s employees not getting salary, and a depositor not getting promised returns) but there are at least four other cases with Bidhannagar police alone,” he said.

Sen was taken at 6.10pm from the Bidhannagar court lock-up to Dum Dum central jail in a prison van with Chauhan.

But the Saradha boss could be back in police custody soon because, after the court had sent him to jail, Baruipur police sought and got permission to interrogate him. Sen is expected to be taken to Baruipur court tomorrow morning where the police will seek his custody in cases of cheating and abetment to suicide.

Police teams from several other districts are also in the queue to seek Sen’s remand.

Debjani could not be produced in court because she was admitted to AMRI this morning with gastro-enteritis. The investigating officer has been asked to submit a report if a petition on her judicial remand could be heard through video-conference.